Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 22:14
Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who [is so] faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king’s son-in-law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honorable in thine house?
14. goeth at thy bidding ] Probably, “ has access to thy audience,” i.e. is a trusted privy-councillor. Cp. 2Sa 23:23, marg.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Goeth at thy bidding – Better, has access to thy (private) audience, or council (compare 2Sa 23:23, margin).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
1Sa 22:14
And Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David.
In defence of the king
Now, it was for acts of kindness to David, the outcast and fugitive, that Ahimelech the high priest was confronted by the infuriated king. Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, the kings son-in-law, who goes at thy bidding and is honourable in thine house? Did I pray for him as against thee? That were far from me. Let not the king accuse me falsely; for as to trouble between Saul and David I knew nothing, less or more. Brave words, O priest! Never did martyr witness more magnificently for the truth, and never with less hope of pardon. The gigantic figure of the king, clad in armour and terrible in wrath, towered before the white-robed priest. It is a vary beautiful, even if it be a very costly, thing to live a righteous life. The whole spirit and range of heroism is to be found in that order of piety which this high priest illustrated and adorned. Analyse this great high priestly life.
I. It was a life often up in defence of the kings better nature against his worse nature. He aimed to rescue Saul from Saul. It is as if he had said, Why do you so unking yourself as to injure a man who would not injure you? David is your friend. Jealousy demeans you. Jealousy and not David is your real foe.
II. Again, it was a life given up in defence of Ahimelechs own better nature against his lower nature. Doubtless this high priestly life was of value to him who had it. But he made no plea foe it. He pleaded only for the life of the outcast and fugitive.
III. It was a life given up in defence of the innocent fugitive. Ahimelech, friend of the king, dared to defend the outcast David.
IV. Now consider that this defence–three fold–is worth whatever it costs. The defence of my neighbours better nature against his worse nature; of my own better nature against my worse nature, and of Christ against the world, is worth whatever it may cost. First, because a mans soul, or immortal nature, is of more value to him than any imaginable physical safety or comfort. Second, because my neighbours better nature is of more value to the world and to me, than anything else I can give to the world, or the world can give me. This world has enough of everything but goodness. It does not need that I give it anything, unless I can give it goodness. Let me help a man to conquer himself and I am a philanthropist. Third, it is worth all it costs because, in defending the outcast against the king, we may be defending the king against the outcast. In the councils of heaven Saul the king is the outcast and David the outcast is the king. This striking reversal of the real and the apparent is one of the most ordinary of processes when heaven looks at earth. Things are not what they seem. However little the evidence of it, Righteousness is the one true monarch over men. (Edward Braislin, D. D.)
.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 14. And who is so faithful] The word neeman, which we here translate faithful, is probably the name of an officer. See Clarke on Nu 12:7.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He doth not determine the differences between Saul and David, nor affirm what David now was; but only declared what David had formerly been, both really, and in public fame and opinion.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said,…. First with respect to David, and then with regard to himself; with respect to David as follows,
and who [is so] faithful amongst thy servants as David; I considered him, as if he should say, as a servant of thine, upon an errand of thine, and doing thy business; and as a faithful one, none more so, and as such I valued and regarded him, not as a rebel to thee, having no such thought of him:
which is the king’s son in law; who has behaved himself so well, and thou hast entertained such an opinion of him, as to take him into thy family, and marry thy daughter to him; wherefore showing him favour, and doing him honour, was doing honour to thee and thy family, and surely there can be no blame in that:
and goeth at thy bidding; has always been ready to execute thy commands, and obey thine orders, let them be what they will; as to go out against an enemy, and fight Saul’s battles for him:
and is honourable in thine house? behaved honourably there, and highly esteemed by all, as well as had the honour bestowed upon him to be the king’s son-in-law, and made captain of a thousand; and therefore who could think that showing respect to such a man could be deemed treason and conspiracy, or he be thought to be a traitor to the king? and then with respect to himself he answers,
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(14) Who is so faithful among all thy servants?The words of the high priest were quiet and dignified, and no doubt spoke the general sentiments of the people respecting David. What hethe guardian of the sanctuaryhad done, he had done as a matter of course for one so closely related to the kingfor one, too, ever loyal and devoted as David had ever proved himself.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. Goeth at thy bidding Rather, approaches into thy privy council; that is, has access to thy private audience, and is one of thy confidential advisers.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Sa 22:14. And goeth at thy bidding Who is a prince under thy command. LXX, and Houbigant. See ch. 1Sa 21:1-2. Ahimelech’s apology sufficiently shews his innocence. Saul’s charge was, that he had conspired with David against him. What proof does he alledge? That he had given him bread and a sword, and had enquired of God for him. What was his vindication? And who amongst all thy servants is like David; faithfuland the king’s son-in-law, &c.? He owns that he gave him bread and a sword, because he believed him to be the most faithful of all the king’s servants; because he thought him employed in an affair of consequence for him; knew him diligent in executing his orders; and that he was of the highest esteem in his family: upon which accounts it was impossible that he could ever be justly thought to enter into conspiracy with him against his sovereign; and even Saul himself would have deeply resented it, had he refused thus to supply him upon any other occasion. As to the other part of the charge, his enquiring of God for him, Ahimelech replies, Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: or, “It is only what I have often done before, and that without any suspicion or blame,” as some, and particularly Josephus, understand the words. Ant. Jud. l. vi. c. 12. sect. 5.
But it should be observed, that the sacred historian makes no mention at all of Ahimelech’s consulting God for David. It was, indeed, what Doeg charged him with; but, I think, falsely and maliciously, only to heighten the king’s resentment against the priests; and therefore the words may be very naturally so interpreted as to imply an absolute denial of the charge. “Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? I never did it before, nor did I begin to do it now.” The verb hachillothi which we render begin, is frequently used almost as an expletive; not to denote the first beginning of an action, but the action itself as begun and finished. See Jdg 20:31. Num 25:1. This vindication was honest and sufficient; but what was the effect of it? a resolution worthy of the tyrant that made it.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Sa 22:14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who [is so] faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?
Ver. 14. And who is so faithful, &c. ] This, some a think, was not so wisely spoken by Ahimelech – viz., thus highly to commend David, whom he saw to be under so great displeasure now, whatever he had been formerly. Others hold that he did all in the honesty and integrity of his heart; giving David his due, and tacitly taxing Saul of tyranny.
a Peter Martyr.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
goeth at thy bidding: or, cometh near for audience. Septuagint reads “is captain over thy bodyguard”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
And who: 1Sa 19:4, 1Sa 19:5, 1Sa 20:32, 1Sa 24:11, 1Sa 26:23, 2Sa 22:23-25, Pro 24:11, Pro 24:12, Pro 31:8, Pro 31:9
the king’s: 1Sa 22:13, 1Sa 17:25, 1Sa 18:27
goeth: 1Sa 18:13, 1Sa 21:2
Reciprocal: Gen 34:19 – honourable 1Sa 20:27 – the son 2Sa 23:23 – over his guard Psa 7:4 – without Psa 35:12 – They Psa 101:2 – behave Pro 12:17 – that Pro 25:26 – General Pro 28:4 – but Pro 28:20 – faithful Dan 6:4 – but Mat 27:23 – Why Tit 2:10 – showing 1Jo 3:12 – And
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 22:14. Ahimelech said, Who is so faithful, &c. Or, rather, Who was so faithful, &c.; for it cannot be supposed, after Saul had just accused David of a conspiracy against him, that the high-priest would say he was then faithful. His apology, which sufficiently shows his innocence as to the things of which Saul accuses him, is, that since David had been held by all to be a most loyal subject, as well as a person of great honour, and in high favour with the king, having married his daughter, what could he think but that David was sent by the king, as he said he was, upon some business of public concern? Thus he does not take upon him to determine the difference between Saul and David, nor affirm what David now was; but only declares what David had formerly been, and what he was still, for any thing he knew to the contrary.